Staff Reporter
Government is set to implement a number of power generation projects meant to avert electricity challenges currently facing the country due to depleted water levels at Kariba Dam.
In a post Cabinet media briefing yesterday, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said that Government has approved the partnership between Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and Williams Engineering which would establish a 50 Mega-Watt (MW) photovoltaic (solar) power plant at Ncema Farm.
“The Partnership between Bulawayo City Council and Williams Engineering which will establish a 50 Mega-Watt (MW) photovoltaic (solar) power plant at Ncema Farm. The Partnership involves a BuildOperate-Own-and-Transfer arrangement over a concession period,” said Minster Mutsvangwa.
The Minister added that the project would address the perennial power challenges at the Bulawayo water pumping station and also provide power to the City’s critical installations thereby reducing the Council power bill. She added that the plant would also provide dedicated power to Bulawayo industries in the designated Special Economic Zones.
According to Minister Mutsvangwa, besides adding power to the national grid, the solar plant would create 200 jobs during construction and 40 jobs during its operation. It would also provide an alternative revenue stream for BCC.
Minister Mutsvangwa also informed that the Cabinet further approved the partnership between the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) and Bikita Minerals which would see the construction of a 113 kilometres (km) long 132 kilo-Volt (kV) power line from the existing Tokwe substation to the proposed Bikita Minerals substation.
According to Minister Mutsvangwa, this partnership would see the construction of a new 132 KV Bikita Minerals substation; installation of substation ancillary services, protection equipment, metering equipment, power network control and telecommunication system and reconfiguration of the new Bikita Minerals substation and network so that it supplies power to other ZETDC clients, such as Gonye, Nyika, Chivake and Bikita local load.
Bikita Minerals would recoup its investment through usage of power to be supplied by ZETDC over a five-year period, and the electricity infrastructure would be handed over to ZETDC upon completion of the construction works.
Meanwhile, Government has lined up a number of power generation projects across the country and has issued licences to some Independent Power Producers (IPP) for them to start generating electricity. The country is targeting to be energy sufficient by the end of next year.
